Savannah V., 13-year-old athlete and a Rosemont student since kindergarten, will be showing her exceptional talent and deep-rooted connection to her Hispanic heritage on the field in October when she represents Mexico at the WBSC U-15 Women’s Softball World Cup in Tokyo, Japan.
Savannah’s passion for softball was nurtured in a family where the game runs in the bloodline.
“My dad used to play baseball, and so did my uncle. It kind of runs in the family,” she said. “My siblings really look up to me; my sister wants to be ‘just like Savannah.’”
Her cousin, Aaliyah H., even plays with her on the same team, Texas Glory, and they’re known as the “best cousin duo.” She says being teammates has brought them closer together and when she gets nervous before a game, they listen to a pre-game playlist to get hyped up. “It’s really fun. Now we hang out every weekend. When we make mistakes, we just tell each other, ‘It’s okay, shake it off,’ and it helps our relationship.”
Starting out with baseball, Savannah moved on to softball and has been playing since she was seven years old. Her journey has been nothing short of inspiring. “If I’m being honest, I feel proud of myself because at first, I didn’t think I was going to make it. Maybe to the next round, but not fully,” she said. “I like it better with all the girls instead because you get more connections. With the boys, it’s not as close as you are with the girls.”
After a two-day tryout with over 90 other players and a scrimmage with Mexico’s softball team, Savannah remembers feeling surprised when her father got the call. “I started crying because I’ve been wanting to be on Team Mexico since I was at least seven. It meant a lot to me that I finally made the team I wanted to be on.”
Softball is Savannah’s escape from reality. “I really enjoy it because when I play softball, I forget about everything else and my teammates just help me feel better. I love softball because it’s helped me get through some hard times.”
Apart from her athletic prowess, Savannah is described as a helpful and talented student at Rosemont. Her choir teacher of two years says Savannah is the first student to raise her hand to volunteer in the classroom. “She’s a great student and she has a very good, light soprano voice,” Ms. Wu said. “I enjoy working with her, and this year I selected her for UNT’s virtual class and I let her sing a solo piece.”
